Should Giants Consider Trading Down if Cam Ward and Travis Hunter Are Off the Board?

In a word, no. Here's why we're against the Giants trading down.

Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; From left, Heisman Trophy nominees Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty and Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward pose for a photo during a press conference before the 2024 Heisman Trophy Presentation. | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is almost here, and speculation about what the New York Giants will do with the third overall pick has undoubtedly reached a feverish pitch.

The growing popular thought for the Giants is that they will draft Abdul Carter, the Penn State outside linebacker. But some have debated whether it makes sense for the Giants to move down in the draft order and secure extra draft picks, including one for next year, to use. 

The Giants should stay put at No. 3 and take whomever of Carter or Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the best available on their board if Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter are gone. 

The Giants are not able to get cute with moving out of the draft's third overall pick. Getting cute by moving around down on the board for more picks seldom comes into fruition for a team in a position like the Giants. This team needs cornerstone talent now.

Trading back might net more picks, but unless those picks turn into immediate stars, which is always a gamble, it would be a step in the wrong direction for a franchise stuck in roster mediocrity.

If Ward and Hunter are off the board at No. 3, that doesn’t mean the Giants are out of options. It means they need to be bold. 

While Carter, touted as the best player in the draft, will likely be the pick, they can’t ignore the possibility of drafting Sanders, who has the tools, temperament, and leadership qualities to command a locker room and energize a stagnant offense. 

The Giants can’t afford to pass on elite players because they’re worried about positional value or chasing future picks. They’ve already spent too much time treading water, failing to identify and develop a long-term quarterback, and shuffling through short-term patches at vital positions.

Trading down might help fill more holes, but this team needs difference-makers, not placeholders. This team does have talent and is adding a dynamic player who can contribute very early.  

Passing on the opportunity to draft a player who could immediately shift the franchise's direction just for the sake of building depth is more for a team that’s already close to contention, not one that’s trying to claw its way back to relevance. 

Additionally, let's not ignore the message it sends to Giants Nation. After years of rebuilding and reshuffling, Giants fans are desperate for hope, not a vague promise of future draft capital. 

They want the franchise's face, a guy they believe in. While this team might not be ready to compete anytime soon, it will at least have someone to add to the foundation being built.  

Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll can make a statement with this pick. They need to be aggressive. They need to swing big. Whether it’s Sanders, Carter, or another elite and box office talent, the Giants must stay the course and draft a player who can change the team’s trajectory.

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